Shotgun powder package

ABSTRACT

A shotgun powder package comprising a reusable shotgun cartridge containing a plurality of powder charges, the mouth of the case being closed with a removable end-cap secured without distortion of the mouth.

Elite States tat Rigby [54] SHOTGUN POWDER PACKAGE [72] lnventor: Charles Herbert Rigby, West Kilbride,

Scotland [73] Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Limited,

London, England [22] Filed: July 24, 1969 A l. No.: 844,484

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 28, 1968 Great Britain ..40,614/68 U.S. Cl. ..102/39, 102/43 C, 206/3 Field of Search ..206/3; 102/38, 39, 43, 43 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,466,561 4/1949 Standal ..102/39 3,016,832 1/1962 Carlson 102/41 July4, 1972 3,099,958 8/1963 Daubenspeck et al. ..102/42 C 3,147,709 9/1964 Werner ..102/42 C 3,179,051 4/1965 Morse ..102/42 C 3,180,265 4/1965 Rybak ..102/42 C 3,230,884 1/1966 Clas ..102/39 3,354,571 11/1967 Parker ..102/39 X OTHER PUBLICATIONS Smokeless Shotgun Powders (SSP); Cox; E. l. DuPont; pp. 8- 14 required. Remington Catalog, 1966, pp. 38 required.

Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl Anomey-Cushman, Darby & Cushman 57 ABSTRACT A shotgun powder package comprising a reusable shotgun cartridge containing a plurality of powder charges, the mouth of the case being closed with a removable end-cap secured without distortion of the mouth.

20 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures SHOTGUN POWDER PACKAGE This invention relates to a package of shotgun powder and to a method of packing shotgun powder for safe transport and storage. I

Reloading of shotgun cartridges is becoming increasingly popular because it affords substantial saving in cost and enables a shooter to produce cartridges conforming to his own individual ballistic requirements. To cater to this trade, shotgun powder must be distributed in bulk to shops and homes in many different areas. Although shotgun powders function by burning, they are classified as explosives and indeed under certain conditions when ignited in bulk, they will burn to detonation. Consequently, severe restrictions are imposed on their packing and methods by which they can be transported by rail, road, and sea.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of packing shotgun powders for safe transport which is more convenient and cheaper than the methods used hitherto.

In accordance with this invention a package of shotgun powder comprises a reusable shotgun cartridge case containing sufficient shotgun powder for a plurality of shotgun charges having a primer aperture in the base of said case closed with a primer or closure plug, the mouth of said case being closed with a removable end-cap secured to the case without distortion of the mouth of the case. The end-cap may, for example, be a tightly fitting external or internal push-fit cap which is held in position by friction or it may be secured by adhesive tape. An external cap is preferred for easy removal. An internal cap for this purpose preferably has a lip to facilitate its removal.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method of packing shotgun powder for safe transport comprises loading into a shotgun cartridge case a quantity of shotgun powder suf'ficient for a plurality of powder charges for said cartridge case and closing the mouth of said case with a removable end-cap without distorting the mouth end of the case.

The cartridge case may be, and preferably is, an ordinary shotgun cartridge case which usually has a tubular body portion made of paper or synthetic plastics with or without a metal base. A synthetic plastics body, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene, is superior for reusable cartridges. The end-cap on the mouth end of the case is preferably metal, paper or synthetic plastics, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene.

When the primer aperture is not closed with a primer, it is conveniently closed by a removable plug of synthetic plastics, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyvinyl chloride.

The shotgun powder may include, for example, the blackpowder type based on a mixture of sodium or potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur or the smokeless type, which is usually preferred, based on gelatinized nitrocellulose with or without the addition of nitroglycerine.

A normal l2-gauge shotgun cartridge case will hold about five times the amount of shotgun powder required for a single shot in that cartridge, so our preferred package contains about five charges of powder, thereby providing the powder charges for four reloads. A commonly used cartridge charge is 1.6 to 2 grams of powder and our preferred package contains 8 to 10 grams of shotgun powder.

The packages of the invention may safely be closely packed together for transport, for example, in cardboard cartons and fiberboard or wooden boxes. The ignition of one cartridge does not cause ignition of a contiguous cartridge.

The invention is further illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment which is described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a package of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevau'on of a mouth end of a package showing an alternative form of end-cap.

The package includes an ordinary shotgun cartridge case having a tubular body 10 of high density polyethylene firmly held in a brass base-cap 11 by means of a compressed paper base wad 12, the mouth of the body 10 being clom by an endcap 13 of polyethylene. A primer aperture punched in the base-cap 11 is closed by a polyethylene plug 14. The package is substantially filled with a smokeless shotgun powder 15. The end-cap l3 fits tightly on the body 10 and is held in place by friction which is sufiicient to prevent it being pushed off by pressure of the powder. For additional security the cap could be fastened to the body by a strip of adhesive tape but this should not generally be necessary.

The alternative end-cap shown in FIG. 2 is an internal push-fit polyethylene cap 16 which is also retained in position by friction.

For transport the packages are conveniently packed in cartons, 25 in a single layer in a cardboard carton, and further packed in fiberboard boxes, 40 cartons to a box. When packed in this manner the ignition of one cartridge does not cause the ignition of any other cartridge.

In use a loader removes the endcap and pours the powder into a suitable receptacle. He then removes the plastic plug from the primer aperture and inserts a primer. The requisite powder charge, wad column and shot are then loaded and the mouth of the cartridge case closed by crimping or turning over on to a card which retains the shot. After firing, the case is again loaded with a powder charge from the quantity of powder previously removed from the package.

What I claim is:

l. A package of shotgun powder comprising a shotgun cartridge case which is reusable after firing, said case containing sufficient shotgun powder for a plurality of powder charges of a size appropriate for firing in said case, the case having a mouth, a base and defining a primer aperture, closure means closing the mouth and non-explosive closure means closing the primer aperture, the mouth closure being an end-cap means which can be readily fitted to and removed from the mouth of the case without distortion of the mouth and so as to permit removal of the shotgun powder.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end-cap is a tightly fitting push-fit cap which is held in position by friction.

3. A package as claimed in claim 2 having an internal cap formed with a lip to facilitate its removal.

4. A package as claimed in claim 18 wherein the endcap is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, paper and synthetic plastics material.

5. A package as claimed in claim 4 wherein the end-cap is of polyethylene.

6. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the case has a tubular body of synthetic plastics material.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.

8. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primer aperture is closed by a removable plug of synthetic plastics material.

9. A package as claimed in claim 8 wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride.

10. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shotgun powder is selected from the group consisting of blackpowder and smokeless powder.

11. A package as claimed in claim 1 containing a quantity of shotgun powder sufficient for five shotgun charges.

12. A package as claimed in claim 1 containing 8 to 10 grams of shotgun powder.

13. A carton or box having a plurality of packages as claimed in claim I packed contiguously therein.

14. A package as in claim 1 wherein the case contains in excess of 3.2 grams of shotgun powder.

15. A package as in claim 1 wherein the end-cap is an external push-fit cap held in position by friction.

16. A package as in claim 4 wherein the end-cap is polypropylene.

17. A package of shotgun powder comprising: a shotgun cartridge case which is reusable, after firing, for subsequent reloading and firing, said case containing only shotgun powder in an amount sufiicient for a plurality of firings of the case, said case including a cylindrical body portion having a circular mouth and further including a base end defining a primer aperture; end-cap means readily fitted to and removed from the mouth of the case without distortion of the mouth and so as to permit removal of the shotgun powder, said end-cap means having a portion outside said case so that it can be gripped; and non-explosive closure means closing the primer aperture.

18. A package as in claim 17 wherein the case contains in excess of 3.2 grams of shotgun powder.

19. A package as in claim 18 wherein the closure means for the primer aperture is a removable plastic plug frictionally fitting the aperture.

20. A package as in claim 18 wherein the case is substan tially filled with shotgun powder. 

1. A package of shotgun powder comprising a shotgun cartridge case which is reusable after firing, said case containing sufficient shotgun powder for a plurality of powder charges of a size appropriate for firing in said case, the case having a mouth, a base and defining a primer aperture, closure means closing the mouth and non-explosive closure means closing the primer aperture, the mouth closure being an end-cap means which can be readily fitted to and removed from the mouth of the case without distortion of the mouth and so as to permit removal of the shotgun powder.
 2. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end-cap is a tightly fitting ''push-fit'' cap which is held in position by friction.
 3. A package as claimed in claim 2 having an internal cap formed with a lip to facilitate its removal.
 4. A package as claimed in claim 18 wherein the end-cap is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, paper and synthetic plastics material.
 5. A package as claimed in claim 4 wherein the end-cap is of polyethylene.
 6. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the case has a tubular body of synthetic plastics material.
 7. A package as claimed in claim 6 wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene.
 8. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primer aperTure is closed by a removable plug of synthetic plastics material.
 9. A package as claimed in claim 8 wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride.
 10. A package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shotgun powder is selected from the group consisting of blackpowder and smokeless powder.
 11. A package as claimed in claim 1 containing a quantity of shotgun powder sufficient for five shotgun charges.
 12. A package as claimed in claim 1 containing 8 to 10 grams of shotgun powder.
 13. A carton or box having a plurality of packages as claimed in claim 1 packed contiguously therein.
 14. A package as in claim 1 wherein the case contains in excess of 3.2 grams of shotgun powder.
 15. A package as in claim 1 wherein the end-cap is an external ''''push-fit'''' cap held in position by friction.
 16. A package as in claim 4 wherein the end-cap is polypropylene.
 17. A package of shotgun powder comprising: a shotgun cartridge case which is reusable, after firing, for subsequent reloading and firing, said case containing only shotgun powder in an amount sufficient for a plurality of firings of the case, said case including a cylindrical body portion having a circular mouth and further including a base end defining a primer aperture; end-cap means readily fitted to and removed from the mouth of the case without distortion of the mouth and so as to permit removal of the shotgun powder, said end-cap means having a portion outside said case so that it can be gripped; and non-explosive closure means closing the primer aperture.
 18. A package as in claim 17 wherein the case contains in excess of 3.2 grams of shotgun powder.
 19. A package as in claim 18 wherein the closure means for the primer aperture is a removable plastic plug frictionally fitting the aperture.
 20. A package as in claim 18 wherein the case is substantially filled with shotgun powder. 